Manitoba Cancels Surveillance Flights to Catch Poachers at Night

The Manitoba government has cancelled surveillance flights to catch nighttime poachers for a second year in a row.

The Manitoba Wildlife Federation (MWF) called out the province Monday for the decision they say threatens people as well as Manitoba’s big game populations.

“Conservation officers tell us night flights are effective in locating spotlighters and, if they had their choice, the flights would be conducted,” said MWF president Brian Strauman. “Spotlighting by non-aboriginal people is illegal, and given there is an outright ban on taking moose in many areas, it is essential that there is an effective effort to curtail this activity.”

The MWF says their position on discharging firearms at night is never safe.

“With the cutting of night surveillance flights again, and by continuing to allow spotlighting by aboriginal hunters, we believe our current government is turning a blind-eye to night hunting, which is incredibly dangerous to Manitobans and unfair to wildlife.”